Punjab CM Badal sets up panel to rationalize agriculture subsidies

Chandigarh: To promote crop diversification in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday approved setting up of an expert panel to rationalize prevalent subsidies in the agriculture sector to benefit farmers in the state.

A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister in a high-level meeting held under his chairmanship to review the performance of agriculture and animal husbandry departments, an official spokesman said.

Showing concern over the "less allocation" of funds by the Centre to improve rural areas and lives of farmers, Badal underlined the need to streamline subsidies to enable the beneficiaries to reap maximum benefits and strengthen the crop diversification programme.

He said that the expert panel to be headed by Chairman of Punjab State Farmer's Commission G S Kalkatt would examine the existing subsidies given to farmers for mechanization of agriculture and supplying pesticides to genuinely benefit the farmers.

He asked the Committee to submit its report within a fortnight to enable the state government to disburse subsidies in a rationalized manner.

Badal said that it was the need of the hour to give fillip to the crop diversification program in the state by enhancing the area under alternative crops like maize, cotton, sugarcane, soyabean, pulses and others.

In another decision, the Chief Minister also asked the Agriculture Department to work out the modalities for giving subsidized seeds, certified pesticides and agro-chemicals to the cotton growers.

Badal asked the Agriculture Department to evolve a strategy for ensuring that only the genuine beneficiaries could avail this scheme.